Wild Steps
Wild Steps
The 'Wild Steps' project, which is funded by North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust, is designed to promote health and fitness within Newcastle-under-Lyme by engaging local people in conservation skills and wildlife themed walks to help enhance local green spaces in their area.
All training and tools are provided for all the Wild Steps events and no previous experience is necessary. The sessions every Wednesday and Thursday morning last from 10am to 1pm with refreshments being provided. There are pick ups for all the sessions from Newcastle Bus Station and along main bus routes. At the moment the programme is open to people from Cross Heath, Knutton, Silverdale, Bradwell, Holditch, Kidsgrove, Butt Lane and Chesterton wards.
The Wildlife Walk events are graded and whilst on the walks individuals get the opportunity to learn tree and plant identification skills and get an introduction to conservation management. Our medium Impact activities include practical conservation tasks like tree felling, coppicing and tree planting. Over the next year the project will be enhancing Apedale Country Park to improve visitor access - this activity will be graded as a heavy impact session. All the activities also have a calorie burn linked to them to highlight how much fitter those taking part are getting, the calculation are based on the calorie burn of a person weighing 65kg. Over last 3 months participants on the project have burnt off an estimated total of 44,000 calories all told. (Not individually!)
If you are interested in joining the 'Wild Steps' scheme or you would like a more information please contact Shaun at the Trust on 01782 562 470 (Apedale Office) or at s.rimmer@staffs-wildlife.org.uk.
